Self-closing billholder



M. M. YATES SELF-CLOSING BILL HOLDER April 24, 1951 Filed March 29, 1947 Fql- 2 3 ...T M, M o Il.. H 11 Q .ll| llulllllfll 6/ il |11/ n `/8 8/ f Aal om 6 n a 7 a f/ 7./l/II l l I I l H\ .7 *IL 7 IN VEN TOR.

' closed.

' Figev.' is a cross-sectional;view of thebillfold 'taken .on line A---Av -oflFigL 1*,:with theposition vof some.:of.the parts changed. slightly sodas to 'provide abetter illustration ofthe construction Patented Apr. 24, 1951 ,g

' Maurice M. Yates, Greenville, Tenn;

Application Meren 29, 1947, serial No. 738,153

My invention relates toa new and useful improvement in billfolds, and has for its object the rproviding in a billfold of a currency section, the

V-backand cover of which ,areV hinged together `with elastic membersjin such manner that vthe cover of this currency'section' will automatically close itself when not in use, which currency sec- ,tion will be small and compact enough to be conveniently combined withajcoin holder, or other time saving devices or conveniences for holding coins, stamps, pictures or other small articles, all

, together in one unit, and in the currency section a means of automatically securing in position in ,the billfold such articles as paper currency. embodiment of the invention iSf Shown in the drawings which form a part'of this spec'iication, and in which, K

Fig..1is a perspective viewfof the billfoldwith the coin holder swung to the right, and overthe receptacles for extra coins and. other small articles,vand with the cover of the currency section swung open to the left. g 1 v Fig. 2 isa top plan View, ofthe billfold when of the billfold Y Fig. "4 is a cross-sectional View of the left segment, or currency section of the billfold taken on line A-A of Fig. 1, showing the cover ofthe 1 currency section swung to the left.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the left segment, or currency section of the billfold taken on line A--A of- Fig.' 1, showing the cover of the currency section swung to the right.

The currency section comprises a stiff back 4,

and a stiff cover 5 fastened together with elastic members 'IA and 8. The cover and back are in the nature of ilat pieces of any suitable stiff material. Members I and 8 are in the nature of elastic tape, or any material or substance capable of recovering size and shape after deformation. The back 4 is fastened to the billfold cover I by sewing or any other suitable means. One end of each member 'I is fastened to the inside face of cover 5 at a point a short distance from the edge by means of stitching 1a, as indicated in Fig. 5, the opposite ends being attached to back 4 at or near the edge. One end of each member 8 is fastened to the inside face of cover 5 on the 1 yopposite side from which members I are fas- 4 Claims. (C1. 150--38) Fig. 4, the opposite ends being fastened te beek V4 at or near the opposite edge from which the ends of members 'I are fastened. Members I and 8 are fastened a distance back from the edge of tened and at a point a short distance from the edge by means'ofstitching 18a, as indicated in 55 I and fastened by a slide fastener 2.

cover 5 to provide leverage in pulling the cover toward and against the back.

The result of the vforegoing construction is that one set or the other of elastic members 1 i 'and', because of the manner in which Vthey are 1,1;0

attached to the back and cover,` and because of their having properties of elasticity, will be exv 4 tended when the cover is swungo-pen in either direction; therefore, onevor the other of the i vtwo sets of elastic members will always tend to 15,

pull the back and cover toward and against each other, face to face, when-they are opened, or separated; also these members actingtogether,

`act tohinge the back and cover rat both edges,

permitting yopening of the cover either to the right, or to the left; furthermore,because of the mannerin which the back, cover, and the four elastic members are connected together, they will placed between the back and cover, lthen the depending on thedirection of the folding o-f the cover. Additional bills may be added to the bills already under either of the two sets of elastic members 1 or 8. For example, if it is desired to add more bills to those held against the cover 5, the cover is opened to the left as shown in Fig. 1, the bill or bills placed between the back and cover, and over members 8, when the cover is folded down upon the bill or bills, then folded once again to the right. If it is desired to add more bills to those held against the back 4, the cover is opened to the right, the bill or bills placed between the back and cover and over members 1, then the cover is folded down upon the bills, then folded once again to the left. All bills will be maintained in their separated positions upon all further opening or closing of the cover.

The right segment of the billfold is composed of a holder 9 for coins I2 which is fastened by eyelets I I to part 6 which is fastened between back 4 of currency section and billfold cover I, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3, a container I3 for extra coins that cannot be placed in holder 9, and a container I4 for other small articles. The currency section and all other parts of the billfold are enclosed within a cover Particular advantages of this billfold are (1) that the cover of the currency section automatically closes itself and remains closed when not in use, (2) the currency section provides a very compact unit for holding paper currency, making it possible to combine this currency holder with other conveniences often desirable to have in a billfold, (3) the action of the elastic members in holding'the back and cover close against each other provides' additional protection against A currency becoming detached froml under these members, and (4) it provides a private compartment 'for currency assuring the user that any currency placed in the billfold will bel 1idden ,-fr,om inquisitive eyes when the billfold is opened to extract coins, or items other thancurrency.

While I have illustrated and .describedthe preferred form of my invention, I do not wish` to limit myself to the precise detail of structure shown, but desire to avail myself of such varia- --tionsfand-f modicationsas V- come `within the. scope ofithej; lappended claims.

g rI-Iavingthus described Amy ,'inventiong-What I vclaim-.as new yand desire. `to :secure bylLettersnPat ent isgas follows, express reservation beingmade of permissible modications: 1 1.Ina billfold, astif., flat, back member and a .stif-,siatcover member- -connectedtoone an- .azother .swingably in eithern direction around `a lat-f eral edge asnan axis by means of apluralityiof transverse fiexibleV elastic; tapes attached to the zback andY cover members, each tape` -being atatached adj acentto a.,.lateral., edge. of; there back Vmember; then passing Lacross an -inner yface gand .beingf attachedl tothe inner face ofqthel cover .member a short .distance away from the-.oppo- `site lateral edge of/ the covermember.

` 2..In a billfold, a stiff, nat,` backmember and alwstiflat, cover member connected to one Vanotherwswingably in either ydirection around a lateral edge as an axis by means of a plurality of transverse flexible elastic tapes attachedtothe back and coverY members, each .tape havingfone end attached to theouter face of the back-'mem- -ber adjacentto a lateral edge thereof; then'passing over the edgeand transversely backacross anv innerwface and having its other end-Y attached \to: theinner face ofthe cover member- -ashort -distance away from the opposite lateral edge of the cover member.

3. In a billfold, a stiff, flat, back member; a stiff, hat, cover member; and transverse flexible 5 elastic tapes connecting the cover member to the back member, each tape being attached adjacent to a lateral edge of the back member, then passing across an inner face and being attached to the inner face of the cover member a short l0 ,distance away from the opposite lateral edge of `the cover member, at least two of said tapes being attached adjacent to one lateral edge of the back member and at least two tapes being attached adjacent tothe opposite lateral edge of said back member.

r. 4. 11n a billfold, a stii, at, back member; a .Sifjflat, cover member; and two pairs of transverse exible elastic tapes connecting the cover member to the back member, each tape having one end attached to the outer face of the back ,member adjacentto ya. lateral edgethereoffthen ,..passingbyer the .l,e dge,` and transversely back A.,acrossf an,innerface. andhavingv its other end attached tothe inneriace of-.thecovermember a :short distance .awayY from rtheopposite, lateral .edge of the cover member, onepair of said -tapes being. attached adjacent .to onelateral edge of Atheback` member and the other- :pair oftapes being.. attached. ,adjacent yto the-.opposite lateral V-Aedge of .said-.back member.

y MAURICE M. `YAfrEs. REFERENCES CITED l:a5 The iollownareferences-are ofecord irl-the legothis. patenti UNITED sTATEsgigiTENT Number #Name Date 40 1,326,602 ,Mcley Dec. 30, 1919 `1,580,346 Y Sutter Apr. 13, 1926 11,679,500 Sanford A T Aug. '7, -1928 1,333,831v Hughes e Nov-24, 1,931

` Il1"Ol`1.li2IGrN PATENTS Number VUCountry Date .55,022 dGreat Britain off1915 1 '103,043 ',-GreatgBritain ,Jan.` 11, 1917 *109,563 GreatgBritain Sept. 20, 1917 

